BRIDGETTE

He was wearing a simple plain, black shirt with a v-cut neckline. I could almost see his chest muscle teasing against the fabric and I had to keep my eyes above his shoulder level. I focused them on his eyes which was also a bad decision because I couldn’t let go of those brown eyes. They almost looked black with the lighting in the place.

Alternative rock music was playing in the background, but all I could hear was the sound of my heart thumping against my chest and radiating to my ears.

“I was here first,” he uttered in that serious tone of his.

“So it means you saw me and then you followed me here. You planned to steal my spot again.”

He scoffed in disbelief. “I never really thought you are like this, Cara. You don’t show it at work.”

“I’m like what?”

He shrugged, leaning against the chair. “Arrogant. Proud. Aggressive. Take your pick.”

“You don’t know a lot of things about me, Dr. Newman. You just don’t have any idea who I really am.”

We looked at each other for a long time before he finally blinked and motioned with his hand. “Why don’t we just forget everything and just share a drink like two strangers who bumped into each other in a pub?”

“That sounds like a great plan,” I nodded and gave my order of beer to the man who walked towards us.

Dr. Newman ordered the same thing.

The beer turned to margarita an hour later. And during that one hour, before our bottles changed into tall glasses of pink liquid with salt and lemon, we talked about anything but the hospital. I found out he could actually manage to share stories not related to his work.

“Why are you here anyway?” I asked him when our margarita arrived.

“I had the day off.”

“Your date stood you up so you decided to spend it with me?”

“Not everyone has to have a date in a night like this. You came alone, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did. But I have other reasons.”

“We all have reasons,” he said, not pressing for a further explanation.

The margarita then changed to tequila. We were on our third shot when I stood up and grabbed him by the hand and led him to the bar.

“Where are we going?” he asked, his eyes looking gentle with his blood alcohol level. I didn’t see any more traces of his usual serious look.

“We’re going dancing,” I giggled as I said it.

“What? Here?” He looked around. The place was packed with different kinds of people. I led him further where there were less people and started dancing with the beat of the music. He just stood there watching me dance with my hands up in the air over my head.

“Come on!” I shouted at him. I grabbed a few glances from the people around us, but they soon went back to their own business and paid us no attention. “No one will know you danced!” I laughed as I said so, grabbing his hand in mine to urge him to join my beat.

It was the man sitting behind me. It was his entire fault. It was not the alcohol, it was not me and it was not Dr. Newman. It was the guy with the blue baseball cap who brushed past me, causing me to trip and fall into the hot doctor’s arms. And it was the guy’s fault that I was standing there with my lips locked against Cara’s enemy’s delectable ones.

The thought of doing something like kissing with Cara’s body once sent goose bumps over my body but I was proven wrong. It did not matter which lips I was using as long as the ones they were tangled with were as great as Dr. Newman’s.

It was thanks to the bartender who poured our drinks because the man my arms were hanging on to was deep into the kiss as I was. I didn’t care if he would despise me after this. I didn’t care if Cara would find out.

I could always point the guy with the blue baseball cap. It was his entire fault. And the man who allowed us to order more drinks than we could carry.

It must have been a mutual understanding. Not one of us opened our mouth to speak a word. We left our cars in the parking lot and hailed a taxi.

I swear it was a mutual understanding. We were like talking in our minds. All we did was look at each other and we knew where to go. It was my place--I mean, Cara’s place. I spotted Mrs. Fowler peeking through the small opening of her doorway. Cara’s nosy neighbor could go to hell.

I fumbled with the keys and when I finally managed to open the door, Scott--I was not sure if I started referring to him as Scott after that kiss or that moment when he pushed me against closing door and took my mouth in his--was as uncontrollable as I was.

I am not a nurse, but at that moment, I enjoyed studying Scott’s body inch by inch. The predator finally caught its prey--whoever the predator was. It could have been me and it could have been him with the way he led us to the couch after a very long time against the door. Knowing Cara’s bedroom was like an extension of herself, I did not contradict with Scott’s decision to do it on the couch.

Deep inside, as I savored the moment, I knew that I would regret it the next day. But I didn’t care. I had cared for a lot of things in the past only to have them crumbling down. I had learned to let go and never deal with the consequences.

Scott’s touch was the comfort I needed that time. I never thought of finding one after the accident happened. I had always been used to dealing things on my own.

Every touch, every kiss, every sound and every gaze I got from Scott was enough for me. If one night with a man I was really attracted to would give me that comfort, I would take it and I did without reservations. Consequences would come later.

CARA

Lorraine left early the next morning after she had breakfast with me. I wanted to sleep more for Bridgette’s shift later but I couldn’t. I decided to go out and grab a strong cup of coffee. I learned how to lie about the coffee drinking and I was getting better at it.

I thought of stopping by Bridgette’s place, but I knew she was not in the mood last night for reasons I didn’t understand so I chose to spend the day in the park. It was a nice, sunny morning. Not too hot, but not too cold either. Sitting on a bench, I watched joggers run around, some of them with their dogs. A golden retriever came bouncing at my direction and I smiled at it.

“Sarah!” A familiar voice called out after it and I looked up to see Quinn. Of all people. I looked away and pretended I did not see him.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, catching his breath. I turned my head and looked at him.

“This is a public place, right? I didn’t know you own it.”

“Always the sarcastic, right Bridgette?” he said, grabbing his dog by the collar. “Come on, Sarah.”

But the dog continued to sit there, its tongue sticking out. “I think she’s tired. You should let her rest.”

“Sarah, let’s go,” Quinn urged his dog, not hearing me.

Sarah did not budge. Instead, she looked at me and came nearer. “Oh, look, she likes me. Good thing you did not train her to hate those you hate.”

“She’s not very smart sensing people. That’s why she always gets into trouble.” He said, squinting in the heat of the sun.

I was getting used to his hurtful remarks so I chose not to mind that one. I sipped on my cup and after I swallowed the warm liquid, I said, “I thought you never wanted to a dog. You’re allergic.”

He frowned, looking at me. “I don’t recall telling you that.”

I shrugged. “Cara told me, I guess.”

“What else did he tell you?” his jaw clenched as he said it.

“Not a lot, really. But then, I told you I am Cara, didn’t I? You didn’t believe me. So you can assume that everything I know about you Cara told me.” I smiled as I tidied my dress as the wind blew it against my legs.

“What did you do with Natalie yesterday?” he asked.

“Why? What happened?”

“Nothing. She seemed really happy. Did she find a dress?”

“Yeah,” I answered. After finding the most expensive one she could find, I added in my mind.

“I hope you did not tell her anything outside wedding plans.”

“Why would I do that?” I looked at him, trying to look as innocent as I really was. “I’m sure you already have your hands full with your fiancée. She’s quite a great lady, isn’t she?”

“She’s always honest and I like that in a woman.”

I nodded with a faint smile. “I know.” I finished my coffee, bent down and rubbed Sarah’s head before I stood up. “I have to go. Have a nice run.”

My feet took me five more steps before I turned my head to look at Quinn over my shoulders. I waved my hand at him when I saw that he was looking at me with that curious look of his. And then I was walking back to my car--or Bridgette’s car.

BRIDGETTE

I woke up alone and in bed. I didn’t know how I got there, but I was there. As far as I remembered, I fell asleep on the couch--or was it on the floor? Anyway, I was certain we did not go as far as Cara’s bedroom.

Panic settled in when I realized what I had done. What I had done with Cara’s body. Oh God, she would kill me. Goosebumps was all over my arms as I tried to think of the same thing Cara might do with my own body. Would anyone consider it rape? Or sexual harassment?

“Stupid!” I cried, muffling the sound with my hands.

I ran to where everything happened and everything was in order. Scott was a neat freak. He tidied everything, erasing traces of last night.

My phone started ringing. It was Cara

“Hey, where have you been last night?” she asked. I knew she was just asking, but it sounded like she knew.

“I uh--I have something to tell you and you will really kill me.”

There was a long pause.

“What’s that?”

“I uh--never mind. Just go here and I’ll tell you in person. And then you can kill me because I so want to kill myself right now.”

“That means you have to wait until we get back to our own bodies before you do that because I don’t want to commit suicide by killing you right now.”

“Fine. Just get here.”

“Can’t you just tell me over the phone?”

“No, I want to tell you in person. Hurry.” I bit my lower lip as I paced the room, looking for the right words to tell Cara.

CARA

I was just about to walk to my apartment’s door when Mrs. Fowler came to me with her usual hunched posture. It meant she had news to share. But I was looking like Bridgette so it would not be a very long one about my neighbors.

“You are Cara’s friend, darling?”

I smiled. “Yes,” I answered, itching to get away from her presence.

“I’m so glad she finally found a man. That girl has been alone since I knew her. I never saw her with another man until last night. Good for her. Good for her. Did you do it? Did you find her a boyfriend?”

Blood drained down my face as I looked at Mrs. Fowler’s expectant face.

What the hell did Bridgette do last night? With a guy? With my body?